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Puntukas Stone

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Puntukas Stone is the second-largest boulder in Lithuania, located 6 km from Anykščiai in the Anykščiai Pinewood Landscape Reserve. This granite boulder weighs approximately 265 tons, measures 7.54 meters in length, with part of it buried 1.5 meters underground. According to geologists, Puntukas was left behind by Scandinavian glaciers 20,000–14,000 years ago.

The stone is steeped in myths, including the tale of a devil attempting to use it to block a church and a story about a wicked man named Puntukas, after whom the stone is named. In 1943, sculptor Bronius Pundzius carved relief portraits of aviators S. Darius and S. Girėnas along with words from their testament on Puntukas, commemorating the 10th anniversary of their legendary flight.

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Puntukas Stone is one of the most renowned natural and cultural monuments in Lithuania. It is the second-largest boulder in the country, located in the Anykščiai Pinewood Landscape Reserve, 6 km south of Anykščiai near the Šventoji River. The stone weighs approximately 265 tons, with impressive dimensions: 7.54 meters in length, 7.34 meters in width, and 5.7 meters in height (1.5 meters underground). Its volume is 100 m³, with a density of 2.7 g/cm³. Until 1957, Puntukas was considered the largest boulder in Lithuania, until the discovery of the Barstyčiai Stone. Archaeologists believe this massive stone was brought to Lithuania by Scandinavian glaciers around 20,000–14,000 years ago. Puntukas also holds significant mythological

value. According to legend, the devil carried Puntukas to destroy a church, but dropped it when roosters crowed. Another story links the stone to a Lithuanian warrior who was burned on the rock for stealing sacred fire. Other tales speak of evil forces attempting to crush Mother Anykšta’s house with the stone, only to be thwarted by a thunderbolt from the god Dundulis. In 1943, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the legendary flight of S. Darius and S. Girėnas, sculptor Bronius Pundzius spent 180 days carving their relief portraits and testament words to the Lithuanian nation on Puntukas Stone. This unique monument unites elements of nature, mythology, and Lithuanian history, symbolizing the nation’s unity and determination.

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